>> announcer: news 4 midday starts now. >> it's new year's eve. across the world people await the arrival of 2013. for many it's already the new year. this is a live look at hong kong china. the clock struck midnight. coming up, how people here are getting ready for the new year. >> time is up to avert the fiscal cliff. the last minute scrambling at this house going on behind closed doors. >> and the redskins pull it off. they knock off the cowboys. >> welcome to news 4 midday. >> it's new year's eve, monday,

december 31, 2012. >> it's down to the wire. we are less than 24 hours away from hitting the so-called fiscal a cliff right now. the house and senate are striking a deal oh avoid massive tax hikes and spending cuts. derek ward is live with more on what's happening today. >> the end is near. that's the end of the year, of course. what about the path that ends at the end of the fiscal cliff. senators should be back at it. the house reconvened this morning. such new year's eve appearances are on the hill. senate minority leader mitch mcconnell and joe biden kept in place to avoid $200 billion in tax increases. broad stroke spending cuts and domestic and defense spending. they would take effect gradually over a period beginning at

midnight if the white house and congress can't reconcile their differences. it appeared to have been movement on the cost of living increases for social security recipients. opposition to the white house's proposed rate of increase was dropped but the common ground is even shaky. the fierce disagreement over whether the bush era tax cut with the top income earners should be allowed to expire while middle income earners would see tax relief. the sticking point is over where the income line should be separating those who should continue to see the tax cuts from those who would see them go away. it's about slowing spending and deficit reduction. >> make no mistake. there will be real damage. we'll be squeezing people who deserve better. we'll scramble to find budget reductions in a way that sense. sometime in hours, days, weeks

ahead. we will get a semi-balanced small agreement. mr. speaker, we don't have a trillion dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough. we have a trillion dollar debt because we spend too much. that was ronald reagan in 198 # 2. president reagan led america out of recession. history has a way of repeating itself. somehow washington never gets the message. >> president obama said he would push for a bill that would actually -- what it would do is include a renewal of the unemployment extension of the bush tax cuts for middle class americans who make less than $250,000 a year. some of us will be watching the ball drop in times square. we may hear the gauntlet drop on capitol hill. live in the newsroom. back to you. >> thank you, derek. >> we are also counting down to

2013. hundreds of thousands of people will bring in the new year in times square. organizers have been planning all year for the ball drop. wendy gi jlet has a look at the preparations. >> more than 2,000 pounds of confetti are in place. >> that's fantastic. >> ready to be thrown out by hand from buildings and times square at midnight. >> i have seen it on tv. looks like so much fun with the concerts and excitement in the air with people. >> it's magic. >> hundreds will come from all over the world. >> australia, canada, england. >> they will see the waterford crystal ball drop down a flagpole high above times square, lighting up the 2013 sign. this year's ball will have 288 new panels engraved with doves, befitting of the theme, let there be peace.

one of the panels was engraved in memory of the late dick clark who started hosting his new year's show in 1974. >> i know dick would appreciate that and never would expect the panel to be in the ball. he'll be part of the celebration again. >> workers are preparing stanls for big name acts. >> i'm excited to see psy do gangnam style. >> the youtube sensation will be here prompting a lot of this. taylor swift headlines the show. >> she's one of my idols. >> brent and his girlfriend are practicing the midnight kiss before shopping for warmer clothes. >> hat, scarf, gloves. anything to keep warm. >> it's clear but hold hovering around freezing. >> despite the cold temperatures people will still wait outside for much of the day. last year the prime viewing areas were filled up 10 1/2 hours before midnight. in times square wendy gillette,

nbc news. >> happy new year! people on the other side of the world are celebrating the new year. the world's first major city, auckland, new zealand, brought in 2013 this morning. fireworks lit up the sky around 6:00 in the morning. sydney, australia brought it in at 8:00 a.m. revellers set up camp on the shores of the harbor. more than a million people saw the show at the sydney harbor bridge. it started with a ringing of a pel in tokyo, japan, at 10:00 this morning. closer to home, thousands of people are expected to bring in the new year at the celebration in al kpand rhee i can't. tony has a preview. >> reporter: i can tell you it's the time of year when people celebrate. they throw parties, make resolutions and promises for the upcoming year. in old town alexandria it will

happen into the evening. it will be pretty packed. it was a quiet morning but the sign in this bookstore displays a subtle clue about the festivities. over 21 local spots including live music and children's activities. for the finale, a return of fireworks. a sure fire good time for folks celebrating the new year. >> go on a party. the redskins made my new year last night. >> or not. >> i have no big plans. >> anything you can think of will likely be represented in old town tonight like here at hotel monaco. they will throw a party in the restaurant. come dressed up. >> 15% off. come dressed to celebrate. come dressed in roaring 20s theme. >> the hotel is booked as are many on the strip but there are plenty of activities to partake in. after activities go from 2:00 to

5:00. if you are looking for tickets spend $20. children under 12 are free as are active duty military. >> fresh year, fresh start. feel better than i did the year before. >> or not. >> no. i'm simple. >> if you're thinking about checking out the fireworks. all the way at the end of king street by the water that will be the best place to check out fireworks. if you are headed out this evening, be careful. there will be checkpoints through northern virginia. that's the latest. >> going to ask you what's your new year's resolution? >> my new year's resolution because i knew you would ask is to be a better redskins fan. i will be a better fan. >> that's what we're talking about.

welcome to the party. >> way to go, buddy. >> welcome to the party. >> all right. tweet tony, hail to the redskins. >> metro will get the folks celebrating home. both metrorail and buses are running on a regular weekday schedule. >> taking a look outside now. veronica has the first forecast. >> for sure. we had a real cold start this morning. in fact, there's only been one other morning where temperatures have started out as low. that was last sunday. look at the readings this morning. we dropped into the 20s. 19 to start in mclean in great falls. 21 degrees this morning. maryland and kensington, 26. riverdale starting at 27

degrees. not nearly as cold for the overnight period or tomorrow morning. on satellite and radar we don't have rain a but we have clouds. high clouds today. just socking us up here. filtered sunshine for today. we're at 36 degrees now. 30 degrees now in culpepper, virginia. a look at the wind chill readings. there's been a light wind out of the northwest. we'll talk about high temperatures and what's next after this weather system producing clouds moves east. >> thank you. appreciate it. >> you bet. >> let's check traffic. alexis is here for danella. >> good morning. overall the beltway is running smooth now. no incidents or delays as you travel on the beltway. good news is falls church.

the water main break on the southbound side of haycock road has been re-opened. heads up if you are headed into the district. parking rules and meters are in force today as are the hov lane restrictions. be careful as you are driving in. a live look at 270. no delays there. keith? >> alexis, new this morning. fairfax county police are investigating a deadly crash. a tractor-trailer and car collided near route 66 west before 2:00 this morning. we are told the driver in the car died. police haven't released any information about the victims or what caused the crash. >> family, friends and classmates are remembering a 19-year-old football player murdered in fairfax county. dozens gathered at battlefield high school in hay market in memory of xavier stringfellow. he was a sophomore in virginia. he played football at that school as well.

police found him stabb to death in a van in vienna friday night. police arrested 22-year-old johnny boniya who you see on the screen there. they say the two didn't know each other but arranged a meeting. no word on the motive in the case. >> now to brighter news. redskins fans are probably tired but excited this morning. i was there and it was great. the skins beat the cowboys last night. robert griffin, iii, might be the man but they had a big game. alfred morris was a star rushing for a career high 200 yards and scoring three touchdowns. >> to win as many games as we have. that means people are playing at a pullable level. i said all the guys. a guy separated himself from the pack.

that was alfred. >> the redskins have won seven in a row. they haven't lost since november 4, two days before election day. we'll have reaction from fans later this hour. >> good morning, everyone. 11:13 is the time. still to come a new setback for hillary clinton. what happened now that could have her sidelined for the rest of her time in office. >> and a deadly ending to a weekend getaway. the latest on this crash. >> big changes in 2013. the item you will have turning out the lights actually as we ring in the new

lucky charms?! ♪ yer always after me lucky charms! whoa. i forgot how good these taste! [ lucky ] ♪ they're magically delicious now all general mills big g kid cereals have more whole grain than any other ingredient in cereals like lucky charms and cinnamon toast crunch, the delicious way to help them grow up strong.

>> announcer: you're watching news 4 mid kay. >> secretary of state hillary clinton is in the hospital after doctors discovered a blood clot during a change-up this weekend. nbc's andrea mitchell hases the latest. >> she's the administration most high profile frequent flyer. 112 countries, more than 40 # 0 days of travel. grounded now under doctor's care at new york presbyterian after physicians discovered a blood clot sunday. on a whirlwind trik trip in december she picked up a stomach virus causing dehydration that led to a fall, a concussion and now a blood clot shm she's had a very real accident. she's recovering and will be

back. >> for three weeks she's been out of the office but working while recovering at home. her concussion caused her to miss a capitol hill grilling about the most serious crisis of her tenure. unable to testify in person about the benghazi attack her aides went instead. >> secretary clinton is recovering from a serious virus and concussion. all of you who know hillcally know she would rather be here today. >> a scathing independent review board blamed the attack on officials under her command and recommended 29 actions the state department take to prevent future attacks like the one in libya. >> secretary clinton is going to implement all of them. my message to the state department's been simple. that's we are going to solve this. >> a new senate report also sharply criticizes the state department while widening blame as well, find fault with the

pentagon and white house. clinton told committee chairs she's committed to working with them when she recovers and will appear once she gets the go ahead from doctors. they want to hear from clinton in person before they will consider her successor. >> senator kerry wants to hear what she says so he can make comments about i agree with her or i don't. it makes sense to have her go first. >> that was andrea mitchell reporting. clinton's spokesman has not said where the clock is located. >> new, the homeland security has a new report criticizing the state department for the response to the u.s. consulate attack in libya. senator collins and lieberman released the report moments ago. the committee found militants essentially walked in because of faulty security. the report criticizes the state department for failing to sufficiently respond to requests for additional security. >> president obama and secretary of state hillary clinton are the

most admired man and woman in the country according to a gallup poll. clinton topped the list for the 11th year in a row. obama is the most admired man for the fifth year in a row. >> president obama, oprah winfrey and condoleezza rice were right behind. also pilly graham and a george w. bush. >> can't go wrong with those names. >> that's a good list. >> what are we looking at going forward into the new year. >> cold, snowy. >> we are starting with temperatures going down. talking about the overnight and afternoon highs. it will be cold by midweek. so enjoy today. today will be, i think, the mildest day out of the work week. in no way will it be anything like last year on new year's eve. we had a high of 62 and an overnig

overnight. dry air getting blown around. it's filtered sunshine for uh us. clouds in the area. look at the precipitation. right to us. it's going to be in the sprinkles. there may be flurries in western maryland. areas way up to the north by tomorrow morning. the whole system will take time to move through the area. as it does, it's going to keep cloud cover across the area. forecast hour by hour. at noontime, 41. 45 degrees at 3:00 today. back down to 41 where we could see sprinkles by 5:00 a, 6:00 this evening. then right through until midnight. a chance for sprinkles. we'll find temperatures headed to the mid and upper 30s by midnight. then it will turn cold. we have one weak system.

the temperature is 11 degrees. that's it in minneapolis, minnesota. 14 degrees in denver now. freezing in kansas city. chicago at 44 degrees. once the system gets through, the cold air will funnel in. arctic air hitting us from midweek on. chance for a sprinkle with all the clouds. early tomorrow morning, still overcast skies. the area of low pressure passing south of the area. once the system moves out we are back into the sunshine with the cold air starting on wednesday. boy, the cold air at the end of the work week. >> increasing clouds. not as blustery or feeling as cold as it was yesterday. 41 to 46. the high for today. yesterday we were 44.

>> it's 36 to 40 degrees. midnight forecast. if you're lucky enough to be going somewhere, 34 to 39 degrees. not at freezing but it will be cold. i think there is a chance for a sprinkle around the area. that's it. we are not talking big rains at all from the weather system moving through. we have a chance posted throughout the day. we bring the high to 42. 36 by wednesday. 10 degrees lower. 38 degrees on thursday. just pretty much a cold start to 2013. >> bundle up. >> what's your name again? and what's your name again? the reason i ask is simple. still ahead on news 4 midday, if you forget names, not that i could ever forget you two, there is a new way to trick your memory into remembering new faces. >> good save. and one man returns a bunch of missing cash without so much as taking a cent.

wait until you hear how he tracked down the owner. >> here's a look at what's hot on nbc washington.com. ♪ we were skipping stones and letting go ♪

♪ over the river and down the road ♪ [ female announcer ] at nature valley, we know nature comes together in amazing ways. that's why we bring together natural ingredients, like dark chocolate with toasted oats, or sweet golden honey.

perfect combinations of nature's delicious ingredients, from nature valley. ♪ ♪ i was thinking that i hope this never ends ♪ [ female announcer ] nature valley granola bars, nature at its most delicious. severa people are dead after a charter bus skidded off an icy highway. police say the bus lost control

in eastern oregon yesterday crashing through a guardrail and then down a 100-foot embankment. rescue crews got down the hill using ropes. nine people died and 20 others were taken to the hospital. the bus was on its way back to canada after a trip to las vegas. the crash was the second deadly accident along the same highway in the same day. >> the woman who police say admitted to pushing a man into an on coming subway train will undergo a stiek trick evaluation. erica menendes is charged with pushing a native of india to his death. during her arraignment she reportedly laughed so hard that the judge forced her attorney to quiet her down. prosecutors say she pushed the man to his death because she blames muslims and hindus for the attacks on 911. >> in webster, new york, thousands came out to say good-bye to firefighters killed in a christmas ambush.

an ex-con set his house on fire and opened fire on the responding firefighters. two other firefighters were wounded. they are expected to recover. the time is 11:27. still to come, healthy exercises you can do at home just in time for the new year. >> plus, it's not your average win for the redskins. how fans are celebrating now that the playoffs are no longer a dream. >> what we can expect from the weather. veronica johnson still ahead. [ male announcer ] this commercial is not about getting fios,

it's about getting fios. that moment after you finally got it that you actually get it. the difference 100% fiber optics makes and you say "woah we are not on cable anymore." when online videos aren't herky jerky, you get it. or when a movie downloads in two minutes, you get it. [ female announcer ] switch to fios internet, tv, and phone for this amazing price online, just $79.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement. plus get $300 back. hurry, last chance to get this incredible deal. offer ends january 5th. fios brings you internet ranked the fastest in the nation. and unbeatable picture quality. it's 100% fiber optic, 100% different from cable. so get fios for this incredible price online, just $79.99 a month guaranteed for two years

with a two-year agreement. plus get $300 back. or get this great price with no annual contract. hurry, this offer ends january 5th. go to verizon.com/holidaydeal. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/holidaydeal. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. and see why millions have switched to america's fastest, most consistent, most reliable internet -- verizon fios.

right now on news 4 midday the countdown is on. less than 24 hours from the fiscal cliff deadline. lawmakers are meeting now on capitol hill inching closer to a deal. we are told the key sticking point is the best way to reduce the deficit. >> the new year's eve party is about to start in alexandria. the celebration startses at noon. more than a hundred indoor performances are set to happen throughout all time. if you don't want to be outside this is an option. kids can make a kite, decorate cookies. the night would end with fireworks and the cost is $20. active military and kids under 12 are free. >> the redskins are in the playoffs for the first time since 2007. the last game of the regular season they saved the best for last and ended the cowboys year

at the same time. that's what i'm talking about. fans are celebrating what could be a magical run in the post season. newses 4's megan mcgrath has more. >> what a game it was. it's the talk of the town. take a look at the headline. playoffs. another one here. riding rookies to the playoffs. it was definitely a night for the rookies. did a phenomenal job. a night for the fans. a sweet victory over a huge rival, dallas. now the fans are waiting for what's next. all high fives and smiles for redskins fans this morning. at the green belt metro they are still celebrating. ♪ hail victory >> playoffs! >> love this so much. rg-iii. special teams. everyone came to play.

>> it is a daunting task. the redskins did it winning seven straight games to become the division champion. making it all the sweeter. the fact that they beat dallas and that prompted a few victory dances. >> i really enjoyed that game. the way they came back and spanked the cowboys. >> i talked to the tv first. i said, if i stay up, you guys better win. i stayed up the whole time. it was me. i helped them. i was the # 12th man from my living room. >> nothing but praise for the rookies. not just robert griffin, iii, but alfred morris. fans say the redskins have finally pulled together a winning team. >> i never thought we would make a turn around from three and six to 10-6.

fantastic. the best thing since sliced bread, rg-iii. >> the redskins have to take on seattle. they will do it on sunday. in green belt, megan mcgrath, news 4. >> doesn't get better than that. the greatest thing since sliced bread. a lot of success can be attributed to another rookie. alfred morris broke clinton portis's team record for most rushing yards in a season. he says he is happy they won. >> really wanted the win. as a team, redskins haven't been to the playoffs in some time. just to get back as a rookie to help contribute to our success is an amazing feeling. especially coming from where i came from. i'm thankful to be here. thankful we got the win. >> he finished the season with more than 1600 rushing yards. the redskins have their work cut out for them. the seahawks are one of the

league's hottest teams. they are 11-5 this season which is one game better than the skins. rookie quarterback russell wilson tied the record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie. they have one of the top ranked defenses in the nfl. if you hope to snag tickets, be near a computer in about 26 minutes. that's when tickets go on sale to the general public. the cheap seats are more than $58 including fees. the most expensive, nearly $5006789 we also checked stub hub for you. >> president lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation during

the civil war. historians consider it a steppingstone to the ratification of the 13th amendment which outlawed slavery. the emancipation proclamation will be on display until tomorrow. if you live in the state of maryland you have only a few hours left to fill out paperwork for the homestead property tax credit. today is the deadline to apply for or retain the credit which ensures the property taxes homeowners pay doesn't go way up even as the property value increases. the credit has been applied in the past. now you must apply for it. you will find everything you need to know on the maryland department of assessments and taxation website. the address is d.a.t..state.md nt us. >> it is the last monday of the year. can you believe it? let's check in with veronica on the storm 4 weather deck with the latest on the forecast. >> last time here for 2012 on the weather day.

at times it may look bright. we have high clouds. pretty extensive throughout the area. all being delivered from the weather system to the west pushing eastward. we have snow coming into the higher elevations of west virginia. rain in kentucky. you can see more of the snow. that's the white in indiana, illinois, areas of missouri. back into wichita, kansas. big system here will take time to move on through. later today and tomorrow. the current temperature. pushing to the low 40s at least today. that will make it not as cold as yesterday. we won't have as much. here's a look at the evening planner. sprinkles at 10:00, 11:00 and

midnight. any umbrella. just a little spritzing going on. >> you have to stay inside and pop the bubbly indoors. >> happy new year's. let's check in on midday traffic. alexis has the latest. >> the belt way is up to speed. taking a look at the commute. let's look at the 14th street bridge. 12-minute drive from the beltway and on the outer life. we are running it. several minute drive from van doern to the bridge. >> thank you. time for the yoga pose of the week. we are joined by kim weeks from boundless yoga and michael. today we are going to focus on how we deal with the festive holiday. we are about to bring in the new year. how to get rid of toxins and impurities through the practice of yoga.

where do we start? >> we'll start with a nice standing twist. >> we know people will be festive tonight. >> exactly. we are really looking at twists in the spine. michael is doing a tough pose. sometimes not so much for everyone at home. it's a lovely pose great for opening the chest, how much he can breathe. breath and twisting the spine, twisting the organs and the body is the best way to detox. >> move those liquids right on out of there. >> now a second pose. much more accessible. we'll get the leg out in front. another twist. the twists are great for the back, too. sometimes you wake up after you were sick or too much. you don't feel good in the body

and back. he'll bend one leg. take it to the other side and twist to the bent leg. he's deep in there. it's wonderful. >> if you had a festive night, you just wake up and get into your yoga routine. >> i would recommend that. it's a great idea. stay low to the ground. stay seated. sit down. see how you feel. take deep cleansing breaths and stay in a twist like this for a minute or two. i promise you will feel better. >> we need it. unfortunately this will look familiar to people at home. it feels good sometimes. >> other objects. his forehead is on the chair. honest to goodness the bellies don't feel so good.

he's lifting out of the pelvis. just relaxing. taking deep breaths. >> i would want to stay in this pose for a while. >> seriously, five minutes maybe. watch your breath. see how you feel. >> one last tip you may want to point out. >> thinking about 2013. just take care of yourself. 2013 is the year to detox. do something like search google and find a cheap way to start yoga for the new year. why not? >> celebrate and take it easy. >> happy early new year's. the time now 11:40 on new year's midday. the colorful list of words and phrases many wish could be banned. some of it may surprise you. >> bright for decades. ever forget someone's name after a you meet them? it's embarrassing. hear how to trick your memory

into putting names with

alright let's break it down. mom, pop it. ♪ two inches apart, becky. two inches. t-minus nine minutes. [ ding ] [ female announcer ] pillsbury cinnamon rolls. let the making begin. ♪

faster than mandy can hang up on mr. monday. you hang up first. [ female announcer ] in just 60 seconds, you've got snack-defying, satisfying totino's pizza rolls. [ ringing ] it's on. let's roll. you're watching news 4 midday. >> i don't know if you would be as honest as this man. a taxi driver is being praised by police for turning in missing money bag with $67,000 in it. i don't know if i would turn that in. the cash bag apparently fell off an armored truck. the driver said his first thought was to get the bag out of the road so it didn't cause an accident. when he found it contained money

he called the radio station for help to find the owner. the driver returned the money to the armored truck crew at the radio station. >> we need more people like him. certainly. the former miss usa contestant who claims it was rigged is speaking out since a judge ruled she had to pay $5 million for her accusations. she represented pennsylvania in the contest and tells the pittsburgh tribune review said she was shocked the juj ruled against her and will fight it. she didn't know there was a clause that the organization owned by donald trump has the right to choose the top five as well as the winner. this next story, think about it. do you really care? maybe you do, maybe you don't. starting tomorrow night new lightbulbs go into effect. companies can no longer make or import the 75 watt incandescent lightbulbs in the united states. retailers can sell any remaining stocks in stores. congress decided to stop using

them for more energy efficient ones. >> 90% of energy that the bulb generates is wasted. so what they replace them with are more energy efficient bulbs that are just as bright, just as good and will actually save you money over the long run. >> traditional 60 and 40 watt bulbs will go away in 2014. you can buy compact bulbs or l.e.d. bulbs. >> just hours before lawmakers are out of time on averting the so-called fiscal cliff. let's check in with hampton pearson who has more on that and the rest of the business. >> we have the markets in a narrow trading range keyed in on fiscal cliff talks. hours now for lawmakers to avoid going over the fiscal cliff. the dow is up barely less than two points at 12939.

the nasdaq up 18 points. the s & p is up four. congress may be able to skirt the dairy cliff. the house and agriculture committees are set to extend the farm bill to keep milk prices from surging. it would keep a long dormant milk subsidy coming back to life pushing milk over $6 more than twice the national average. the tribune company is set to emerge from bankruptcy four years after the media giant flieled chapter 11. there will be a portfolio including eight major newspapers. 23 tv stations. several big banks are reportedly close to a $10 billion settlement to be held liable for pad foreclosure practices. the new york times goes to those who have lost the home.

happy new year. >> and to you. the congress going down as the least productive congress in modern times. >> yes, indeed. >> on that note, happy new year to you. >> have you ever forgotten someone's name moments after meeting them? you say, hey, what's up, man? or he will lorks young lady. whether at the work place or a party we have tips and tricks to remember the names of new people you meet in 2013. >> i'm bob. >> forgetting someone's name at a holiday party. what's it like for you, ike? >> embarrassing. >> that's what chester santos is trying to cure. as a former national memory champion he teaches memory workshops. >> always shake the hand and immediately repeat the name. nice to meet you, bob. at the same time i try to ask myself if there is any association i can think of. >> in my case he imagined me, bob, bobbing for apples then

attaches that to a unique feature like my hair or lack of it. next time we meet my name is locked in place. >> nice to meet you bob. >> you have a nice chest. chester. >> to see if the technique works we showed chester pictures of 24 people. he didn't know. >> my brother. my other brother. >> gave him five minutes to memorize all 24 names. >> i'm pretty much done. >> and recall them. >> who is this? >> domenic. >> in random order. >> lily. >> timothy. alexandra. gerald. steve. it's a skill that anyone can develop. >> if not, there's always plan b. >> i always do say, i'm maureen murphy. i'm sorry. i forgot your name. >> thanks, megan. nice meeting you. >> bob ridell, nbc news. >> it's a tradition as old as making fruit cakes.

that's throwing them. men, women and children gather to take part in the fruit cake fling. competitors flung specially made fruit cakes with the with birdseed filling. they can be enjoyed by wildlife later. the superintendent came up with the idea for the fruit cake toss. he's not a fan of the holiday treats. it looks like fun. >> a lot of people don't want to partake in the holiday treats. there is a price to pay after the holidays. >> be careful with the waistline. >> coming up it's been a busy day. what was the big story of 2012? we'll look back. >> and veronica johnson will have another check of the forecast. stay w

[ female announcer ] pillsbury crescents on their own are fantastic but add some sauce, pepperoni and cheese and fold up the crescent dough...and presto! tuesday night just became crescent pizza pocket-tastic pillsbury crescents. let the making begin

here's a better idea. pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits in just 15 minutes the light delicate layers add a layer of warmth to your next dinner. pillsbury grands biscuits let the making begin.

you're watching news 4 midday. >> before we bring in the new year we want to take a look at the top stories that made headlines in 2012. >> aaron gilchrist looks at the past year. >> 2012 was a year of highs and lows in the washington region. here is a look at the top five stories that made headlines. number five, battleground virginia. a swing state in the race for the white house and which party would control the u.s. senate. hundreds of thousands of voters turned out in northern virginia.

some waited in long lines for four hours to cast their vote. presidential candidates criss-crossed the old dominion ral alying supporters and spending millions on ads. in the end, voters helped re-elect president obama and elected former governor tim kane to the senate. number four, marylanders made history along with with maine and washington state. they approved marriage equality giving same sex couples the right to marry. gay couples in maryland can begin saying i do in january. number three, scandal in the districts. for the first time in the city's history, two sitting council members resigned and pleaded guilty to felonies. chairman brown resigned in the summer after lying on federal loan documents. ward five 's terry thomas resigned in january admitting to stealing $400,000 designated for city youth programs. plus, the on going investigation

into d.c. mayor vincent gray's 2010 campaign. jean clark harris pleaded guilty to a $650,000 illegal shadow campaign to help elect gray. two other campaign workers pleaded guilty to a separate scheme to pay brown for his criticism of adrian fenti. number two, let's hear it for the home team. fr the first time since 1933, a d.c. baseball team made the playoffs. the washington nationals earned the best record in baseball on their way to clinching the n.l. east. unfortunately the season ended in heart break when they lost to the saturday calls in game five of the first round. >> the washington redskins select robert griffin, iii. >> the redskins began a new era with rookie rg-iii who proved he could live up to expectations. he broke the rookie record for

rushing. and the fans loved him. griffin's jersey became the best selling nfl jersey in nfl history. the number one story, a powerful storm everyone now knows the word derecho. the storm killed more than a dozen people on friday, june 29. strong winds knocked down trees and power lines, sending them crashing to homes, businesses and cars. the storm even knocked out 911 in areas. it left more than a million people without power in the district, maryland and virginia for days during the summer heat. i'm aaron gilchrist, news 4. >> we have a spoiler alert for you. this following story contains words and phrases that some people want to ban from the english language. spoiler alert made the list of words to be banished from the queen's english for misuse, overuse and general uselessness. so did the phrase "kick the can

down the road," double down, job creators and creation. let's see. we have passion and passionate. those surveyed say they are tired of hearing about the company's passion, if you will, for -- or as a substitute for providing service. the phrase with the most nominations this year, surprise, surprise, fiscal cliff. followed by you only live once or yolo. until two minutes p ago i didn't know what that was. people are tired of hearing about your bucket list, what's trending and they are sick and tired of hearing about superfoods. rounding out the list were boneless wings and guru. what's wrong with boneless wings? >> i like any kind of wing. give me some wings. let's look now at the stories we are following on news 4 this afternoon. pat has a preview. >> news 4 today we have details about kanye west's big

announcement. the announcement that his girlfriend is expecting. the holiday season is coming to an end as millions get ready to return to the daily grind. a happiness expert shows us how to detresz and keep the festive spirit into the new year. we are all over washington's big win. nfc east and stuff. the winning season is boosting the local economy. it starts at 4:00 this afternoon. >> fever for the burgundy and gold. >> yes, inkeydrick. >> thanks sh pat. >> time for a check of the forecast. veronica johnson joins us again. >> i wish it were a prettier day for new year's eve. gray out there. certainly cold. 4 is to 46 degrees. into the mid and upper 30s. not a bad day when you consider the temperatures will be the hardest you can see for the afternoon. down to 32. 33 in menasis.

31 in culpepper. the churs not as bad as this morning. at midnight sprinkles through the area tomorrow. cold as we wrap up the work week starting on wednesday. >> moisturize. it will dry you out. that's it for news 4 midday. thanks for joining us. tune in to news 4 at 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00 later today. >> we're off tomorrow. catch the 2013 tournament of roses parade this time tomorrow on nbc 4. we'll see you wednesday. happy new year.